W.E.B. Du Bois

Born in New England and educated at Harvard University and the
University of Berlin (Germany), W.E.B. Du Bois authored "Of Mr.
Booker T. Washington and Others," an essay later collected in his
landmark book The Souls of Black Folk (1903). Du Bois
carefully
demonstrates that despite his many accomplishments, Washington
had, in effect, accepted segregation -- that is, the unequal and
separate treatment of black Americans -- and that segregation
would inevitably lead to inferiority, particularly in education.
Du Bois, a founder of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), also wrote sensitive
appreciations of the African-American traditions and culture; his
work helped black intellectuals rediscover their rich folk
literature and music.